GOP Push to Reopen DHS Stalls as Democrats Reject ICE Funding Compromise

"The prolonged shutdown has intensified concerns among lawmakers in both parties about operational disruptions and national security risks."

Senate Republicans are advancing a narrow proposal to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after weeks of stalemate, but early Democratic resistance underscores the uncertain path to ending a shutdown that has stretched beyond a month.

According to GOP aides and lawmakers familiar with the talks, the plan would fund most DHS operations while temporarily excluding some of the agency’s most politically contentious immigration enforcement functions. The framework emerged following a White House meeting earlier this week and is expected to anchor ongoing negotiations on Capitol Hill.

Senate Republicans say the proposal mirrors prior Democratic demands to separate certain Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities from broader funding bills. One GOP source described the approach as “the only way out,” adding that Republicans are effectively “calling the Democrats’ bluff” by adopting a structure long favored by their opponents.

“We’re going to have to move forward and give them what they want,” another Republican source said, characterizing the plan as a tactical concession aimed at breaking the impasse.

Under the proposal, funding would continue for ICE investigations targeting transnational criminal organizations, including cartels, human traffickers and child exploitation rings. At the same time, funding for ICE’s “enforcement and removal operations” would be withheld, at least temporarily—a distinction Republicans argue preserves core national security functions while addressing Democratic concerns about deportation policy.

Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) said Republicans intentionally stripped the proposal down to what Democrats had previously requested. “We finally just said, ‘Stop. We’ll just fund everything but [Enforcement and Removal Operations],’” Lankford said. “That’s what you said you wanted at the beginning. Let’s do that.”

Despite those concessions, Senate Democrats have so far declined to accept the framework. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) confirmed that negotiations remain ongoing but indicated Democrats are preparing a counteroffer. “Negotiations are ongoing, and they’ve sent us an offer,” Schumer said. “And we’ll be sending them an offer back. And I can assure you it will contain significant reform in it.”

Democrats have continued to press for additional restrictions on immigration enforcement agencies, arguing that limiting one funding stream does not adequately constrain broader operations across DHS. “If we are talking about funding any part of ICE or [Customs and Border Protection], we absolutely must take some key steps to rein them in,” Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) said, adding that the current Republican proposal “does not do that.”

Other Democrats have echoed those concerns, noting that enforcement activity is distributed across multiple DHS components. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) said immigration enforcement is “funded out of almost every part of the DHS budget,” making it “really hard to address an immigration enforcement operation that’s out of control” through a partial funding approach alone.

Republicans, meanwhile, have expressed growing frustration that Democrats are rejecting a framework they say aligns closely with earlier Democratic proposals. “We did all this work… we get it squared away… and then they want something more,” Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) said, questioning whether Democrats are prepared to finalize a deal.

The proposal also faces procedural and political hurdles beyond Democratic opposition. Any funding measure would require at least 60 votes in the Senate to overcome a filibuster, meaning bipartisan support is essential. In addition, House Republicans have not formally aligned with the Senate approach, raising the prospect of further delays even if an agreement is reached in the upper chamber.

The prolonged shutdown has intensified concerns among lawmakers in both parties about operational disruptions and national security risks. Thousands of DHS employees have gone without pay, and reports of extended airport security lines have added pressure on Congress to act.

Complicating negotiations further is a parallel dispute over the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act. Some Republicans are seeking to delay consideration of the bill or shift elements of it into a budget reconciliation package, which could pass with a simple majority but is limited to fiscal provisions under Senate rules.

Even that fallback strategy carries risk. The Senate parliamentarian could rule key provisions out of order, forcing lawmakers back to negotiations on a broader bipartisan bill.